CNA WCTC Module 4 Lecture Review: Pain, Vital Signs, and End of Life Care

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering pain management, vital signs, cardiovascular and respiratory observations, and end-of-life care.

Quality of Life

The degree to which an individual is healthy, comfortable, and able to participate in or enjoy life events.

Pain

Whatever the patient says it is, experienced whenever they say they are experiencing it; unpleasant sensory and emotional experiences.

Non-verbal pain indicators

Behaviors such as grimacing, guarding the injured body part, rocking, rubbing the area, or moaning.

Diaphoresis

Excessive sweating.

Acute pain

Pain limited to a specific cause such as a fracture, childbirth, or surgery, which should lessen as the body heals.

Chronic pain

Pain that persists for longer than $6$ months.

Subjective sign of pain

When a person reports to you and tells you what they are feeling.

Objective signs of pain

Observable indicators such as a change in vital signs.

Post-mortem care

The care and preparation of a deceased body.

Hospice care

Care offered to patients who are terminally ill and expected to live less than six months, focusing on comfort.

DNR order

Do not resuscitate; instructs health care providers to not do CPR if the breathing or heart stops beating.

Advance Directive

Legal documents that include the health care power of attorney (POA) and living will.

Cyanosis

A cardiovascular symptom that refers to bluish discoloration around the mouth and in the extremities.

Last sense to fail

The sense of hearing is the last sense to fail when a patient is near death.

Stages of grief

The five stages identified by Elizabeth Kubler Ross: Denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance.

Typical temperature range

$$96.4-99^{\circ}\text{F}$$

Rectal temperature

The most accurate measurement of a body temperature.

Sims position

The position used when taking a rectal temperature, where the patient is laid on their left side.

Duration of ice or heat application

$$15-20\,\text{minutes}$$

Radial pulse location

Found by drawing an imaginary line from the extended index finger past the wrist to the radial bone and palpating just inside the bone.

Systolic blood pressure

The phase of the heartbeat when the ventricles contract, causing the ejection of blood into the aorta and pulmonary arteries.

Diastolic blood pressure

The phase between each contraction of the heart when the ventricles are filling with blood.

Normal heart rate range

$$60-100\,\text{BPM}$$

Hypotension

Low blood pressure.

Hypertension

High blood pressure.

Normal pulse oxygenation range

$$95-100\%$$

Integumentary system

The body system consisting of the skin.

Coronary Artery Disease

Condition where cholesterol deposits (plaque) in the heart and arteries cause decreased oxygenated blood flow.

Congestive heart failure signs

Symptoms include shortness of breath and excessive weight gain.